AW Display of Pastes is Tiny--But Only for Me

Maryn · Jun 7, 2011

I'm using Firefox 3.6.13 on an XP-Pro operating system.

In my experience, the font size of posts which are pasted often display as at least one size smaller than AW's default font. Most people are perfectly nice about re-sizing once I ask.

I've just learned that this is not happening to everyone. (Example: http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=215924). I'm seeing it as Times New Roman in this size, which I find hard to read. Yes, I know how to enlarge the display, but I hate to have to do it for one post.

I'm not a tech person, and a glance at the page source told me it was way over my head.

Is there some setting within my OS or browser which I can change to see this as other AWers do? Make any instructions simple, please. Like I said, not a techie.

Maryn, worrying about those crow's feet

dpaterso · Jun 7, 2011

I'm using Firefox 4.0.1 on Windows Vista.

In Tools > Options > Contents tab > Fonts & Colors [Advanced] button, I've got the "Allow pages to use their own fonts..." box ticked.

I could untick this and override web page fonts with my own choices above this -- which is what I needed to do before the board font change event occurred some months ago. But now all posts look A-OK to me.

Added: I must note, as a slap-forehead afterthought, that I must have hit Ctrl-+ twice sometime in the past, and Firefox has held onto this zoom setting, so the contents display 2 steps larger than the default (which I see if I hit Ctrl-0 to cancel the zoom). I do this with a lot of sites, and Firefox happily remembers this every time I visit them.

-Derek

Maryn · Jun 7, 2011

I have the "Allow pages to use their own fonts" box ticked already. (Ha-ha, I typed tickled.)

I don't really want to enlarge the zoom all the time on all the posts. I can read AW just fine except for certain pasted posts. It crops up fairly often at SYW and at Paying Markets, not often anywhere else.

Maryn, eating fresh cherries and wondering where to spit the pits

alleycat · Jun 7, 2011

I'm not sure there is a perfect answer if someone has actually used a small font in their post. As you mentioned, it can get tiresome to fiddle with the zoom all the time.

There are some advanced zoom add-ons for Firefox that might make it a bit easier since they have more zoom options and are on the toolbar. If you decide to try any of them, but sure you're not just getting an "image zoom"--those will only work with a image.

alleycat · Jun 7, 2011

I found this one:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/page-zoom-buttons/

I don't have it, so I can't say how well it works, or whether it's worth the trouble to use it.

ETA: I installed this. I'm not sure how helpful it is (I already had zoom in and zoom out on the toolbar). After I installed it I had to use Customize to actually put the buttons on the toolbar. I suppose the "Reset to normal page size" might be helpful at times. I don't think I'll use the "fancy extra buttons"--zoom in and zoom out on the toolbar is enough for me.

dpaterso · Jun 7, 2011

Have you tried it the other way, with the Allow... option unticked, and your own fonts + sizes in the option fields? So everything resolves to your chosen size. The "Minimum font size" field might be worth fiddling around with.

(Assuming you haven't fiddled already, in which case, ignore.)

-Derek

Maryn · Jun 7, 2011

I'll check it out, but knowing me, I'm more likely to continue to lean close and squint. I've mastered that pretty well.

Maryn, all old-school

Edit: Derek, I haven't, but that's what I'll try next. It's more fun to fool around with this than, you know, write something that's not coming easily.

Edit of the edit: Eek, now all the fonts are that teeny size. Which suggests that if I change my own default, I'm home free, yes?

Edit III: Ta-daaa! Thanks, gentlemen.

alleycat · Jun 7, 2011

Maryn, I edited my previous post.

Do you have a zoom in and zoom out on your toolbar now, or do you just you Ctrl and + or -?

AmericaMadeMe · Jun 7, 2011

Maryn said:
I'm using Firefox 3.6.13 on an XP-Pro operating system.

In my experience, the font size of posts which are pasted often display as at least one size smaller than AW's default font. Most people are perfectly nice about re-sizing once I ask.

I've just learned that this is not happening to everyone. (Example: http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=215924). I'm seeing it as Times New Roman in this size, which I find hard to read. Yes, I know how to enlarge the display, but I hate to have to do it for one post.

I'm not a tech person, and a glance at the page source told me it was way over my head.

Is there some setting within my OS or browser which I can change to see this as other AWers do? Make any instructions simple, please. Like I said, not a techie.

Maryn, worrying about those crow's feet

First of all, you shouldn't be using Firefox 3.6.13 anymore. The current version of Firefox is 4.0.1 and even if you haven't made the switch, if you have updates on, you should be up to 3.6.17. Update your browser.

Second, you can play around with font sizes by going to Tools - > Options -> Content and going to the Advanced menu under "Fonts & Colors." As a default there is no "minimum font size," although you make it any size you want.

Matera the Mad · Jun 8, 2011

If you have "Allow pages to use their own fonts" UN-ticked, and a good font (anything sans-serif) selected, all webpages will miraculously become more readable.

Also, you don't need any buttons to zoom. Just use the keyboard: Ctrl + +, or Ctrl + Mousewheel.

If you are using a laptop, there is another trick that might work -- two fingers on the pad, draw apart to enlarge, closer to smallify. I just learned that Monday, from someone who didn't even know what a web browser is.

Matera, who, though quite mad, knows what a web browser is

alleycat · Jun 8, 2011

No, someone doesn't "need" zoom buttons, but I think it might be easier for someone who is constantly needing to "zoom in" to have them on the toolbar. They can click and zoom in, then click again to zoom back out when they're done; or reset the page size. I sometimes use the zoom buttons I have on the toolbar, but pushing Ctrl + or - is such an old habit that I still use that as well.

Deleted member 42 · Jun 8, 2011

Matera the Mad said:
Also, you don't need any buttons to zoom. Just use the keyboard: Ctrl + +, or Ctrl + Mousewheel.

We have a number of disabled users who don't use conventional keyboards.

If you use a mouthstick, it's a PITA to attempt to zoom via the keyboard; you have to have "sticky" keys turned on, and you have to get the timing perfect.

A button is easy.

Maryn · Jun 8, 2011

Good point--although I bet with a mouthstick, 'easy' is a relative term.

Maryn, whose dad was disabled in his final years

Deleted member 42 · Jun 8, 2011

Maryn said:
Good point--although I bet with a mouthstick, 'easy' is a relative term.

Maryn, whose dad was disabled in his final years

True; I used one for a week as part of testing software, and my teacher was incredibly patient with me, but it is extremely difficult.

Also: Buttons will work with voice commands, too.

Matera the Mad · Jun 9, 2011

You are quite right, of course, and definitely not so easy to do it with one's nose, either

Incidentally, I have a favorite old program that can do all sorts of nifty macros, and I confess to having made a zoom button on it for when I'm in a mousy mood :ROFL:

AW Display of Pastes is Tiny--But Only for Me

Maryn

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Maryn

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Matera the Mad

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AW Display of Pastes is *Tiny*--But Only for Me

At Sea

Also in our Discord and IRC chat channels

At Sea

Still around

Still around

Also in our Discord and IRC chat channels

At Sea

Still around

Bartender, gimme a Linux Mint

Still around

Deleted member 42

At Sea

Deleted member 42

Bartender, gimme a Linux Mint

AW Display of Pastes is Tiny--But Only for Me